Conservatives on the Supreme Court Are Trying to Quietly Toss Aside Federalism
Four Justices have made plain their intent to void efforts to facilitate voting rights
Republicans have long attacked so-called “activist” federal judges, claiming they interfere with the constitutionally protected autonomy of state government officials, particularly when federal courts have intervened to bar racial discrimination in voting and education. But the Supreme Court’s right-wing majority is now poised to dictate to state judges and governors how to enforce their own election laws, so as to tip the scales in favor of Republican candidates. Working in tandem with Republican legislators seeking to further suppress and dilute Democratic votes, the Court could usher in decades of minority control of both state and federal governments, unless Congress acts.
The political logic is as simple as it is repugnant: The Republican Party is shrinking, particularly as suburban voters — long a key part of the GOP base — recoil from an increasingly nativistic and racist GOP. The party’s prospects for future electoral success thus depend on evermore effectively suppressing and diluting the votes of those citizens who favor Democratic candidates.
